‘Why no justice for women’ in Gujarat, Rahul asks Modi

Sunday, December 3rd, 2017, 03:27:22 PM IST

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday asked his fifth question to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the run up to the Gujarat polls, raising concerns over safety, health, education and crimes against women the state.

He accused Modi of making fake promises to the women of Gujarat where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been in power for the last 22 years and where rate of conviction in crimes against women is at a meagre 3 per cent.

Citing records from different central agencies and institutions, the Congress leader pointed out that Gujarat was ranked third in human trafficking, fifth in acid attacks on women and 10th in rape of minor girls.

He asked Modi, who served as the Gujarat Chief Minister from October 2001 to May 2014, why female literacy rate had dropped from over 70 per cent in 2001 to 57 per cent in 2011.

“Why ‘no justice for women’ as only 3 per cent of those accused of crimes against women get convicted?,” Gandhi tweeted.

“Why are two most important cities Ahmedabad and Surat ranked among the top 10 cities in crime against women in India.

“Why does Gujarat lag behind at 20th place in girl child education,” he asked, pointing out that gross enrollment ratio of girl child is at 20.5 against national average of 23.5 (higher eduction).

Gandhi’s question comes in the wake of the party’s strategy to pose one question to Modi every day till the polling day on December 9.

He asked the Prime Minister about the women health issues in the state, pointing out that the maternal mortality rate had increased to 85 in the state, putting Gujarat “at number 11 among 15 states in reduction of MMR”.

“Why 67 per cent mothers of new born child in the state are denied facility of free transportation in government ambulance?

“Why are 55 per cent women of the state anaemic?”

The Congress Vice-President on Saturday questioned Modi on the “extraction” of high fees from students by government educational institutes in Gujarat.

On Friday, he accused Modi of reducing the power generation capacity of government-owned power firms between 2012-16, while buying electricity from private players at a much higher rate.

Polling for the 182-member Gujarat assembly will be held in two phases on December 9 and 14. The counting of votes will take place on December 18.